The blonde woman nodded seemingto be okay with that answer. “My name is Dr. Tavern. I am the communications psychologistfor RAIDOS. We have been tracking the three supernatural communities for abouttwenty-five years now. We have intercepted your phones, email, and anything wecould, without getting too close to your homes for fear you could smell us. Weknow you are a werewolf and after listening in on the vampires’ conversations,that you may be able to help them have children. They wish to kill off yourkind and take humanity under their ownership as blood slaves with their newlycreated spawn. So I guess the biggest question we have is, whose side are youon? The vampires or the humans?”
I decided a little humor was inorder here. “Couldn’t you tell how much we werewolves love vampires by the waywe stormed that house and started killing them?”
Her lips curled into theslightest smile.
“Werewolves protect humans. It’salways been this way. They kidnapped one of our pregnant females. We are hereto get her back,” I told her.
She nodded as if she knew this.
“Why aren’t the silver chainshurting you? We have heard other wolves talk about silver incapacitating them.”
“Most wolves cannot handlesilver. I am immune to its effects,” was all I said.
The psychologist nodded. “She is cooperating.Untie her. Give her water.”
The man who had approached meearlier seemed unsure but did as she asked. The second he unlocked my chains Icould have shifted and jumped out of a nearby stained glass window. I didn’t.If a vampire war was coming then we needed allies. I only hoped it was possibleto become allies with these people.
I rubbed my wrist and grabbed thewater bottle.
“Thank you.”
Dr. Tavern nodded.
“You said you were human a fewweeks ago. What happened? Do werewolves turn humans just to increase theirnumbers?”
“No, that is against werewolflaw. I was in a bad car accident on Mount Hood. I was dying and my mate foundme. He is an Alpha and hechangedme, hoping I could survive.”
“Kai?” the psychologist asked.
Shit, they knew a lot. I suddenlyfelt very protective. I opened my pack bond but I couldn’t sense Kai. Did itnot work if we were too far away?
The psychologist seemed toregister my apprehension. “We have a drone that flies above Mount Hood. We havebeen watching Kai and his pack for a while. He does things differently. Thereare no fights in his pack. They don’t do anything illegal. He even pays histaxes.”
I breathed a little easier. “Yes,once Kaichangedme, I found out he was my mate.”
The psychologist seemed to mullsomething over. “I like you, Aurora. You seem very caring, protective, andintelligent. Many of the same qualities we find in humans. I want you to answerthis next question very, very honestly. Your life depends on it.”
I sat up straighter.
“Are you the Matefinder and whatdoes that mean?”
Well, shit. So much for notrevealing too much. My wolf came to the surface. I felt the need to run. Surlyif they knew I could help grow the werewolf race exponentially, they would killme. I decided to downplay it.
“Yes, I am the Matefinder. Thereis always one Matefinder in existence to help wolves from faraway packs findtheir mate. No big deal.”
Dr. Tavern chewed her lip. “Andis it true without finding your mate that you cannot conceive children?”
There was no way around thisquestion. I knew where she was going. I stood up suddenly, angry. “Yes! I findmates so we can marry and have a family just like you! YES! If you kill meright now then the werewolf population will significantly decrease over time.But if you kill me, then there will also be less wolves to help you fight thevampires in the future.”
All ten RAIDOS agents had theircrossbows pointed at me. All except the psychologist. She regarded methoughtfully.
“I guess we have a decision tomake. Either we as humans work alone to ensure the human race survives or weform an alliance,” Dr. Tavern suggested.
We stared at each other.Challenge,my wolf said. If they made a move to kill me I would fight. I would probablydie but I would fight.
‘Aurora? We’re coming! I cansmell you. We are close. Hold on!’
Dr. Tavern’s phone beeped. Shebroke eye contact to look at it. Relief seemed to flood through her. She extendedher hand to me.
